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The San Francisco Foundation

San Francisco, California  ·  EIN 010679337  ·  Private foundation

The San Francisco Foundation is a private foundation based in San Francisco, California. Its most recent IRS Form 990-PF reports $228.0M in grants paid and $1.53B in total assets. Bespoke Grants tracks 8,408 individual grants from this funder — $1.07B awarded across 2017–2023 — including its support for adult education. Below is its full funding profile.

$228.0M
Annual giving (FY2020)
$1.53B
Total assets
8,408
Grants tracked
2023
Most recent grant

What The San Francisco Foundation funds

The San Francisco Foundation's giving carries a documented focus on adult education, arts & culture, arts education, civil rights & social justice, community improvement, and related causes.

Adult EducationArts & CultureArts EducationCivil Rights & Social JusticeCommunity ImprovementCriminal JusticeDisability ServicesDomestic ViolenceEarly Childhood EducationEconomic Development

Populations it has supported include black communities, children, families, foster youth, hispanic communities, homeless population.

black communitieschildrenfamiliesfoster youthhispanic communitieshomeless populationimmigrants & refugeesindigenous

Grant history

The largest grants Bespoke Grants has on record for The San Francisco Foundation, by amount:

RecipientLocationGrantYear
Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund
ADVISED - FOR THE PICHAI FAMILY FUND
Albany, NY$34.7M2022
Schwab Charitable Fund
FOR THE BARGER FAMILY FUND AT SCHWAB CHARITABLE, FOR WON/HOLDEN FAMILY FUND, TO THE HAMMARSKJOLD FAMILY FUND AT THE SAN FRANCISCO FOUNDATION
Orlando, FL$31.2M2020
Marin Community Foundation
SEE SCHEDULE I, PART IV
Novato, CA$18.9M2017
Schwab Charitable Fund
FOR FINAL PAYMENT TO CLOSE FUND AT THE SAN FRANCISCO FOUNDATION., GENERAL SUPPORT
San Francisco, CA$15.2M2019
Marin Community Foundation
FOR THE DIMARCO HARLEEN FAMILY FUND OF THE MARIN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION. FOR THE JANE, SAM AND SCOTT MILLER FUND. FOR THE DIMARCO HARLEEN FAMI
Novato, CA$13.8M2020
The Schwab Fund for Charitable Giving San Francisco Office
FOR DONOR ADVISED FUNDS.
San Francisco, CA$11.6M2017
New Profit Inc
ADVISED - TO INVEST DOLLARS AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE (TA) IN DIVERSE-LED NONPROFITS WORKING TO CREATE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES IN COMMUNITIES
Boston, MA$10.0M2022
UC Berkeley Foundation
ADVISED - FOR THE LIGHT THE WAY" CAPITAL CAMPAIGN FOR THE HAAS SCHOLARS PROGRAM. ADVISED - FOR THE HAAS FAMILY FIAT LUX SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.
Berkeley, CA$9.1M2023
San Francisco Housing Accelerator Fund
ADVISED - FOR GENERAL SUPPORT. ADVISED - FOR R&D AND GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT.
San Francisco, CA$9.0M2022
City and County of San Francisco
FOR THE CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO'S GIVE2SF COVID-19 RESPONSE AND RECOVERY FUND. FOR GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT OF GIVE2SF/COVID19. FOR GIVE2SF/C
San Francisco, CA$8.3M2020
Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco
FOR THE PHILANTHROPIC FUND OF THE JCF OF SAN FRANCISCO, FOR GENERAL SUPPORT.
San Francisco, CA$8.3M2020
Tomkat Ranch Educational Foundation
ADVISED - FOR GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT. ADVISED - IN SUPPORT OF GROWING THE TABLE, TO FUND THE RICHMOND SECOND ROUND PILOT, ADVISED - TO SU
Pescadero, CA$7.9M2022
UC Berkeley Foundation
FOR BERKELEY ART MUSEUM/PACIFIC FILM ARCHIVE ANNUAL TRUSTEE GIFT, FOR BIG GIVE SEED GRANTS , FOR CAL PERFORMANCES SCHOOLTIME, FOR FELLOWSHIP
Berkeley, CA$7.4M2019
Tipping Point Community
GENERAL SUPPORT, FOR THE CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS PROJECT.
San Francisco, CA$6.0M2019
Tomkat Ranch Educational Foundation
ADVISED - FOR GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT.
Pescadero, CA$5.8M2023

The San Francisco Foundation giving by year

Total grants Bespoke Grants has indexed for each filing year:

2017$145.6M
2018$147.4M
2019$153.3M
2020$221.0M
2022$232.2M
2023$174.2M

How to apply for funding from The San Francisco Foundation

The San Francisco Foundation's public IRS filing does not spell out a formal application process. Foundations of this size often give primarily to organizations they already know, so a concise letter of inquiry or a warm introduction is usually the best first contact — not a full proposal. You can review the foundation directly at sff.org.

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Frequently asked questions about The San Francisco Foundation

Does The San Francisco Foundation accept grant applications?
The San Francisco Foundation's public filing does not specify an application process. A brief letter of inquiry or a warm introduction is usually the best first step with a private foundation of this size.
What does The San Francisco Foundation fund?
The San Francisco Foundation's grants focus on adult education. Recent recipients include Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund, Schwab Charitable Fund, Marin Community Foundation. Its full grant history is listed above.
How much does The San Francisco Foundation give in grants?
The San Francisco Foundation reported $228.0M in grants in its most recent IRS filing (FY2020). Across all years in our data it has awarded $1.07B over 8,408 grants.
Where is The San Francisco Foundation located?
The San Francisco Foundation is based in San Francisco, California. Its IRS employer identification number (EIN) is 010679337.
How can I find foundations similar to The San Francisco Foundation?
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About this profile. This page is built from The San Francisco Foundation's public IRS Form 990-PF and 990 filings, indexed by Bespoke Grants alongside 13M+ grants from 225,000+ U.S. foundations. Grant figures reflect filings available to date; IRS data publishes on a 1–2 year lag. Bespoke Grants is not affiliated with The San Francisco Foundation. Always confirm current giving priorities and application procedures with the foundation directly before applying.